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Second World War delays the introduction of MotoGP
In 1949, FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme) organised the very first international championship road races. That makes MotoGP the oldest motor cycle sport in the world. The championship was announced in 1938 but, because of the outbreak of the WWII, it was another ten years before the bikes actually appeared on the starting line. The first season’s races were primarily ridden on European circuits in Britain, Belgium and France. The TT circuit in Assen is perhaps the most remarkable. There has been a race at Assen on the calendar every year since the championship started.

Superfast evolution of bikes
It was only in the sixties that the MotoGP Championship became truly international with the inclusion of Japanese manufacturers like Suzuki and Yamaha. The battle between the Japanese and the Europeans really kicked off when the legendary Giacomo Agostini burst onto the scene in a starring role. The Italian rider won ten of the 15 available titles in a five year period. When the FIM imposed a restriction on the number of cylinders allowed, it signalled the end of the Agostini era. Suzuki built the super-fast RG500, with which the young British rider Barry Sheene swept to victory in his first championship.

The term “MotoGP” was introduced in 2001 as the official main category, with 250cc and 125cc as its more minor adjuncts. At the time FIM statutes allowed the racing of 990cc bikes and maximum speeds increased to the point where the sport became exceptionally dangerous. This was tragically proved in 2003: the Japanese rider Dajiro Kato drilled himself into a wall on the Suzuka circuit and died of his injuries two weeks later. As a result of this accident the Suzuka circuit was removed from the calendar forever and the permissible engine size was reduced to 800cc.

Valentino ‘The Doctor’ Rossi - the greatest rival
Valentino ‘The Doctor’ Rossi dominated the championship by becoming champion in the years 2001 to 2005. In a concerted attempt to bring his reign to an end, all the teams decided to take on large numbers of new, younger riders. And it worked: in 2006 Rossi was finally beaten in the last race of the season by Nicky Hayden.

The fact that the greats, such as Rossi, Hayden and Stoner, are so closely matched makes MotoGP one of the most exciting competitions around. For this reason The Ticket Enterprise has extended the range of MotoGP tickets available in its online shops in the last few years. In this way we can offer every fan worldwide an online shop offering precisely what they want.